Letters to the Editor

HB 2577 is a bad bill and would have been a burden to Arizona taxpayers, as we already pay federal taxes to do the same thing.

As long as Gov. Janet Napolitano has the veto power, we can get rid of all the bad legislation passed by this bad Legislature.

We need change in Phoenix, and every citizen should get out and vote in November for that change.

CAROL BORGES

TEP leaving us in dark

I own one of the businesses on Contractors Way affected by the recent storm damage.

I have been calling Tucson Electric Power since the storm to learn when I can return to check my business.

In several calls, the response is the same: Watch the news for updates.

Today, I went down again in vain but was kindly assisted by a policeman. He reported that as we spoke, TEP was meeting to determine when we could re-enter, and a press release would be issued.

Never hearing of results or a press release, I drove back down this evening and talked to a TEP employee.

I was told my business was not on a list of those whose owners were allowed to enter. Only about a dozen bigger names were on the list, and it was suggested if I had a lawyer to call, I might be on the list.

This isn’t the way to run a business. I know they have all the addresses affected and our phone numbers. Couldn’t they simply leave us a message, post the information on their Web site or advise what news outlet has the coveted information?

As always, crews are working furiously to restore power, but where is the leadership? If this were a disaster or terrorist attack, I suppose keeping it quiet would be the TEP approach.

AARON POSSIEN

Shooting down ol’ Eller

Your sense of humor with Gerald Swanson and Marshall Vest, both of the Eller College of Management, brought me laughs and grief (May 26 Business brief, “UA provides update on area’s economy“).

You published their invitation to hear them speak after reservations were full, yet gave deadline date with a cost of $2 instead of $20.

Are readers to laugh off their skill to manage so poorly that there will be cost overruns if the $2 is honored and reservations accepted to the deadline?

These two managers managed to irk me. Now all I know is that if graduates of Eller College follow in their mentors’ footsteps how dysfunctional their business world will be.

I used to decry the NIMBYs back when I thought we could get a crosstown freeway.

Now that that hope is gone, I urge those people to step up to the plate and stop many of these projects – most notably Steve Farley’s Folly Trolley!

And stop the Rainbow Bridge fiasco.

These are special interest projects and need to be scrapped.

THOMAS R. SCHUETZ

Death tax a grave issue

I was surprised to read on Jim Pederson’s Web site that he has repeatedly called on Congress to keep the death tax.

He is wrong on this issue.

The people here understand that, upon death, farmers and ranchers are forced to sell their land and break up family businesses in order to pay the tax man.

Pederson may not understand that, since he has made more than $100 million building shopping centers. His family will have millions no matter what.

But for families that have worked for generations on the same land, the estate tax is devastating and immoral.

Sen. Jon Kyl has fought the death tax, which tells me he understands more about our state and its people than does Jim Pederson.

The U.S. Senate soon is to vote on this tax.

Kyl has been a leading force to repeal this offensive and unfair tax. Now he’s supporting a compromise that would allow Arizona’s many ranchers, farmers and small business owners to keep their businesses in the family when a parent dies.

Any tax on death is unfair and immoral, and I thank Sen. Kyl for working to protect Arizona families.

DOUGLAS M. LOWE

Citizen Online Archive, 2006-2009

This archive contains all the stories that appeared on the Tucson Citizen's website from mid-2006 to June 1, 2009.

In 2010, a power surge fried a server that contained all of videos linked to dozens of stories in this archive. Also, a server that contained all of the databases for dozens of stories was accidentally erased, so all of those links are broken as well. However, all of the text and photos that accompanied some stories have been preserved.

For all of the stories that were archived by the Tucson Citizen newspaper's library in a digital archive between 1993 and 2009, go to Morgue Part 2